In the afternoon of December 5, 2018, in the song of the youth choir of the Affiliated Middle School of Peking University, the “Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Public Welfare Class” of China Children and Teenagers’ Fund (CCTF) entered the Affiliated Middle School of Peking University. Liang Shuping, the national intangible cultural heritage inheritor, shared the inheritance history and skills of the national intangible cultural heritage “Beijing embroidery” with teachers and students.

Intangible cultural heritage originates from a nation’s unique way of life, and with the development of human life style, it is deposited into the nation’s cultural memory. Because of its immaterial properties, it cannot be preserved in physical form, and can only be passed on from generation to generation by means of oral transmission. Part of the immaterial gradually free from the edge of human real life, and on the verge of extinction.

In February 2017, CCTF together with singer Sun Nan, musician Luan Shu, Olympic champion Wang Tao and planner Sun Mingwei, jointly launched the “Little Master  Intangible Cultural Heritage Special Fund” to build a public welfare platform for teenagers to learn traditional intangible cultural heritage projects. As one of the sub-projects of this public welfare activity, “Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Public Welfare Class”invites representative inheritors to spread intangible cultural heritage skills among young people in the form of performance, speech, demonstration and teaching, and guide them to explore their interests in China’s “intangible cultural heritage”.

“Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Class”in the Affiliated High School of Peking University

At present, more and more intangible cultural heritage inheritors to join “Little Master Union”. Thirteen intangible cultural heritage projects, including Guangcai, Chaozhou embroidery, Liu’s bamboo weaving and Chengmud stone carving, have been established in Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Suzhou and Beijing in the form of “Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Public Welfare Class”. The organizer plans to promote this public welfare activity to more provinces and cities across the country.

Beijing embroidery, also known as palace embroidery, is the general name of embroidery in Beijing. Beijing embroidery has a long history, especially prosperous in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and was mostly used in palace. It was listed in the “Eight wonders of Yanjing” and was approved to be included in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014.

In today’s “Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Public Welfare Class”, Liang Shuping apprentice Tian Peng explained the history, regulations and basic skills of Beijing embroidery, lifting the mysterious veil of Beijing embroidery. Students feel from this, the artistic charm of Beijing embroidery is not far from our daily life, this ancient traditional art is in people’s life today, playing an increasingly important role.

Liang Shuping is the fourth generation successor of Beijing embroidery. Over the past 40 years, she has made unremitting efforts for the inheritance of Beijing embroidery techniques. She told reporters that, like many intangible cultural heritage techniques, Beijing embroidery is also facing a crisis of inheritance. “Too few people are willing to learn this skill, so we need to let more teenagers know about Beijing embroidery and then like it”, she said.

Xu Xu, deputy secretary-general of CCTF, awarded the title of “CCTF Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Public Welfare Class” Learning Base of the Affiliated High School of Peking University

Wang Bing, director of the art center of the Affiliated High School of Peking University, said “Our center, whose full name is ‘visual and performing arts center’, has offered more than 40 modules for students to choose from, including traditional ethnic art courses such as ethnic instrumental music and Kunqu opera, among which Beijing embroidery will be included next semester. Thanks to CCTF, we have the opportunity to invite the intangible cultural heritage masters to lecture to the students. The best protection for the intangible cultural heritage program is tl let the intangible cultural heritage technology come into our side. With the support of all sectors of society, the Affiliated High School of Peking University will offer more intangible cultural heritage art courses”.

According to the organizer’s plan, in addition to Beijing embroidery, Beijing carved lacquer will also be arranged as the teaching content of the “Little Master China Intangible Cultural Heritage Public Welfare Class” of Beijing station. By April 2019, Beijing station is expected to carry out the intangible cultural heritage class of 20 class hours for two projects of Beijing embroidery and carved lacquer.

At the opening ceremony, Xu Xu, deputy secretary-general of CCTF, said “intangible cultural heritage, as part of China’s excellent traditional culture, is the carrier of memory of Chinese civilization. Inheriting the Chinese heritage and strengthening cultural self-confidence is an important mission for Chinese teenagers”. She hopes that more students can get close to, understant and inherit the intangible cultural heritage through experience and learning, so as to carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture.